Dear Matthew, thank you very much for the links. I am thinking about buying a SP5, but I do not like the fact that the bowl and the spiral hook are non-removable. By the way, I like the "breaker bar" you inventively installed inside your mixer. Good day!

Thanks Omid, I have since removed the breaker bar. If your concern is with respect to cleaning, it's a breeze to clean & disinfect.

Omid, does that mean you bulk rise for 5 and then ball for 20 hours? your dough balls always look fantastic, do they ever run together like the photos from Keste with such a long time after balling? thanks,bill

Omid, does that mean you bulk rise for 5 and then ball for 20 hours? your dough balls always look fantastic, do they ever run together like the photos from Keste with such a long time after balling? thanks,bill

Dear Bill, yes, "5+20 hours" indicates that the dough mass is initially fermented for "5 hours" (inside my marble chamber), after which it is formed into individual dough balls which undergo "20 hours" of fermentation (partly inside the marble chamber and partly on the kitchen counter). And, the dough balls do "run together" if they are left for over 20 hours. Good day!

Omid.....fantastic looking pizzas and excellent breakthrough with the oven.

I'm several pages behind here, so I need to catch up on this exciting breakthrough. Awesome!

Dear Pizzablogger, I thank you sincerely! Very kind of you! Right now, I am re-designing the oven, again. Basically, I am elevating the pizza stone almost by half, so it would be closer to the brick dome. In addition, I will have only one layer, as opposed to two layers, of bricks in the dome. This way, I am hoping to create a better thermal balance between the floor and the dome. Again, thank you and have a good day!

Can you tell me why you use a 5+20 fermentation method? Currently, I do the exact opposite: 20+4.

Grazie tante,Salvatore

Dear Salvatore, when I employ sourdough culture as a fermentative agent, I often, not always, use the "5+20 fermentation" mode for a number of reasons. The principal reason is that it works, for me! It procures the soft, yet stable, texture and mild sourness I favor in a dough fermented with sourdough culture. If you ask "why", this is where I need to speculate, without hopefully falling into error, as to what causes those qualities.

Given the type of flour and the hydration level I use, five hours of bulk fermentation does not considerably breakdown the gluten bonds throughout the dough; consequently, it is more efficacious toward making dough balls of stronger, unbroken, and uninterrupted skin. Another reason pertains to the exponential growth of the bacteria and fungi in dough. Since the fermentative micro-organisms within dough multiply exponentially, I assume that the sooner the dough mass is divided into dough balls, the slower will be the rate of fermentation, which in turn is productive of less lactic acid (sourness). Needless to mention, it is crucial to control the temperature throughout the process. Also, the "5+20 fermentation" mode reduces the annoying gummy residues, if any at all, on your fingers when making dough balls. (I do not know how cogent my preceding rationale, i.e., the exponential growth, is.)

At last, for me, the "5+20 fermentation", in contrast to "20+5 fermentation", produces dough balls that are more relaxed, softer, and easier to stretch into dough discs that bake into more tender crusts. Naturally, the "5+20 fermentation" mode requires use of minimal amount of yeast or sourdough culture. After all said and done, when it comes to making sourdough pizza dough, it is often recommended to follow "21+5 fermentation" or a variation thereof. Have a great day!

Here is my newly re-designed home gas oven! Unfortunately, I neglected to take a picture before sealing the interior and installing the front panel. This is a much lighter construction than the previous design. I am using half as much bricks than before so the oven can breathe more freely. Also, in comparison to the previous design, the floor is half as much farther from the broiler and half as much closer to the dome. Below is a table showing how fast the floor and the dome accumulate heat.

Omid's pictures don't really make me want to post mine... those pies are far ahead of me. Any luck with employment?

Dear Tman1, I think you should post your pictures (does not matter what others may think) and watch yourself grow. Surely you would agree that crafting pizza, akin to the fine arts, is a process of personal cultivation and growth, requiring one to unfold oneself unto oneself!

In regard to finding a job as a pizzaiolo, I am still working on it. I am optimistic and confident that in time I will find a suitable position. Good night!

Dear Salvatore, when I employ sourdough culture as a fermentative agent, I often, not always, use the "5+20 fermentation" mode for a number of reasons. The principal reason is that it works, for me! It procures the soft, yet stable, texture and mild sourness I favor in a dough fermented with sourdough culture. If you ask "why", this is where I need to speculate, without hopefully falling into error, as to what causes those qualities.

Given the type of flour and the hydration level I use, five hours of bulk fermentation does not considerably breakdown the gluten bonds throughout the dough; consequently, it is more efficacious toward making dough balls of stronger, unbroken, and uninterrupted skin. Another reason pertains to the exponential growth of the bacteria and fungi in dough. Since the fermentative micro-organisms within dough multiply exponentially, I assume that the sooner the dough mass is divided into dough balls, the slower will be the rate of fermentation, which in turn is productive of less lactic acid (sourness). Needless to mention, it is crucial to control the temperature throughout the process. Also, the "5+20 fermentation" mode reduces the annoying gummy residues, if any at all, on your fingers when making dough balls. (I do not know how cogent my preceding rationale, i.e., the exponential growth, is.)

At last, for me, the "5+20 fermentation", in contrast to "20+5 fermentation", produces dough balls that are more relaxed, softer, and easier to stretch into dough discs that bake into more tender crusts. Naturally, the "5+20 fermentation" mode requires use of minimal amount of yeast or sourdough culture. After all said and done, when it comes to making sourdough pizza dough, it is often recommended to follow "21+5 fermentation" or a variation thereof. Have a great day!

Dear Salvatore, Earlier today, I prepared dough with the following specifications:

As you can see, the initial mass fermentation took only "2 hours" instead of many hours. Below is a picture of the dough mass after 2 hours of fermentation. I have also included pictures, below, of the dough balls I formed out of the mass.

Please, take notice how smooth, unbroken, and uninterrupted the skins on the dough balls are. There are no tears or breakages of any kind on the skins, which, in my opinion, is critical for better development, fermentation, and levitation of the dough balls, in addition to setting the stage for better formation of dough discs out of the balls.

Also, notice that I used absolutely no flour on the dough and the marble top in making the dough balls. At last, after I formed the dough balls, there were very, very little gummy residues left on my fingers. I thought I pictorially illustrate what I talked about above. Have a great night!

I appreciate the detailed pics of the dough (bulk and balls). Can you post some pics of the dough as soon as it becomes ready for baking? I guess this is similar to what I wanted to see with Craig's NP dough in his own thread.

I appreciate the detailed pics of the dough (bulk and balls). Can you post some pics of the dough as soon as it becomes ready for baking? I guess this is similar to what I wanted to see with Craig's NP dough in his own thread. Thanks!Marlon

Grazie mille! You are helping me to understand. I, too, would also enjoy seeing a picture of the dough before it is shaped. I expect it to be quite overblown, ala Keste, but will hold off making assumptions until the evidence is presented.

My belief is if the dough is fermented "en masse" it would ferment at a quicker rate, and by dividing it earlier in the process, the fermentation is allowed to proceed and develop slower. I also wonder if the dough is more "tender" since it is given such a long time without being disturbed, i.e. during the 20+hour proof.

Omid, I, too, would also enjoy seeing a picture of the dough before it is shaped. I expect it to be quite overblown, ala Keste, but will hold off making assumptions until the evidence is presented.

Dear friends, below are the pictures of the dough balls. The first picture exhibits the dough balls right after they were formed, i.e., after 2 hours of mass fermentation (77° F on the kitchen countertop). And, the second picture exhibits the dough balls after 24 hours of fermentation (17 hrs at 60°-67° F & 7 hrs at 71°-80° F) on top of the 2 hours. I will shortly post the pictures of the pizzas I baked with the dough balls.